Table Hopping column: Exploring Albany’s rich brewing history

Today, my Table Hopping column moves from Sunday’s Unwind section back to the Food section, where it will reappear every other Thursday. Today’s subject is Albany’s brewing history, which will be the subject of the Hudson Valley Hops festival on Saturday (4/20) at the Albany Institute of History & Art. Short version:

An amazing fact: For decades during the mid-19th century, Albany was second only to London among cities with the largest capacity for beer production.

Also true and also amazing: A signature style produced by many of the dozens of Albany breweries was so widely distributed that researchers have found mention of “Albany ale” throughout the U.S., from New Orleans to San Francisco, and abroad, from Nova Scotia to Buenos Aires to Germany.

6 Responses

great stuff, Albany has a great tradition of brewing. We brew at home, and went through hoops looking for a classic recipe for the old Albany Ale, nowhere to be found. Someone must have it. Would love to make this up, just for fun.

In the print story today you mention the three breweries that survived prohibition – what about Schaefer? I can remember as a kid, I guess in the late 60’s-early 70’s, when we drove between the buildings (and the brewery was in operation) my dad would always point out the decorations with Bacchus depicted. but maybe it was Gambrinus? Anyone know?

After Dan O’Connell, Albany Democratic political boss for over 50 years, acquired the Hedrick Brewery, you couldn’t get a tavern license from the Alcohol Control Board (Curiously, its boundaries to this day are contiguous with the lands of the Patroon van Rensselaer – Albany, Rensselaer and northern Columbia counties.)unless you bought Hedrick’s beer. It was absolute swill – you didn’t have to serve it, you could dump it down the sewer, but you had to buy it. I remember it on tap in Albany bars in the late 60s – you could get a dime beer back then.